Doctor of Philosophy / Curriculum and Instruction / Thomas Vontz / This phenomenological study hermeneutically explores law professors’ felt experiences within online existential lifeworld spheres. Prose, poetry, color images, and virtual journeying provide descriptive and interpretive text suggesting expansion of Gadamer’s fusion of horizonal understanding. Law professors who teach asynchronously online selected five color images from pixabay.com corresponding with the five universal existential themes: body, space, time, relationships and material things/technology (van Manen, 2014) as catalysts to conversationally explore what it feels like to transition from classroom to online instruction. Multiple phenomenological, artistic, and scientific theories prismatically amplify and explain the study’s design: Gadamer’s hermeneutical circle of understanding (1960/2006), Termes six-point spherical perspective (2016), Einstein’s closed yet unbounded universe (Egdall, 2014), and Seamon’s concept of “at homeness” (2012). Dialogical understanding of Self and Other(s) through Gadamer’s call for festival and serious play (1960/2006) is activated: The reader is invited to interact with the study text through visual and auditory web experiences. Researcher’s hermeneutic and existential retelling of the professors’ conversations begins to unfold metaphorically around a table within a virtual forest. When researcher’s previously bracketed-away prejudice for incorporating synchronous modalities into online learning erupts, professors’ longing felt for classroom home actualizes and ultimately emerges as a sixth existential dimension proposed by the researcher. A culminating journey through virtual desert in search of online home continues the retelling and metaphorically incorporates all six existential themes. Dramatic changes in researcher’s lifeworld view, ways of knowing and being, self view, self action and pedagogical development as a result of conducting the study are summarized. Future research is implicated including exploration of professors’ existentially felt experiences while teaching synchronously online and deep-mining professorial empathy toward students. Factors that impinge on all law professors’ transitioning to online instruction contextually anchor the study: 1) Legal pedagogy’s evolution from 18th Century professional skills training through the late 19th Century intrusion of legal doctrine instruction, and 20th Century paralegal skills training; 2) The American Bar Association’s 21st century mandates for graduating students with both legal skills and legal doctrine training; 3) 21st Century pedagogical Immutables (teaching online, teaching legal job skills, teaching legal doctrine, teaching to standardized tests); and 4) 21st Century Protean Challenges (institution and student demand for technology-based instruction, the Global Legal Services Industry’s hierarchical control over legal education and practice, enrollment and tuition crises, multi-cultural limitations, and the pedagogical conundrum of choosing among multiple online design and delivery modalities).

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-28T18:24:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elizabeth Thomaz Pereira.pdf: 1559562 bytes, checksum: bbe7b4751a3397bcc26569d1702ba6e4 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-06-23 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This research aims to describe and interpret the phenomenon of learning for mature adults and elderly students in two Open University of The Third Age of São Paulo State. The purpose was to collect subsidies to be used in educating teachers for instructional contexts which aim at developing practices focused on education for that age group, providing the elderlies not only with integral development, but also equal opportunities and social inclusion. The relevance of this work is primarily, the worldwide growth interest in the social life of the elderly. This research discussed the increase in longevity in the world (Frias, 1998; Goldman, 2001; Kalache and Kickbusch, 1997; Veras, 1995), Gerontology (Cachioni, 2003; Hayflick, 1996; Neri, 1995; Papaléo Netto, 1996), Education (Canary, 2000; Case, 2000; Delors et al., 1999, Freire, 1996; Giubilei, 1993, Lima, 2001, Rogers, 1969; Sobral, 2001, Vygotsky, 1978), The Open Universities of The Third Age (Jordan Neto, 2001; Martins de Sá, 1991; Vella, 1997) and teacher education (Kenski, 2001, Monteiro, 2000, Moraes, 1997; Perrenoud, 2002) for those who are aging. To carry out the research, I used the hermeneutic-phenomenological approach (van Manen, 1990; Freire, 2007); including researching on interpretations of learning from students and teachers, mature adults and elderly, on this phase of their lives. In addition, this research tried to show what the nature of learning in old age in two Open Universities is. The gathered texts consisted of sixteen transcribed interviews with students and teachers, mature adults and elderly of two open universities. From the descriptions and interpretations of the experiences of these individuals, it was possible to identify the nature of the phenomenon. However, it should be emphasized that, throughout the interpretation process, the texts collected indicated that, against the initial intention, the target phenomenon was, in fact, the search in The Open University by senior citizens. When I reached the essence of the phenomenon, I identified the themes that structured this search, which are learning, welfare, pastime and relationships. These themes can be used as a basis for further researches. They can be and should continue being the prime objective of those who work or will work at institutions in which there are people from an age segment that most grows in the society we live / Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo descrever e interpretar o fenômeno do aprender para os alunos adultos maduros e idosos de duas Universidades Abertas da Terceira Idade de São Paulo. A finalidade foi coletar subsídios para serem utilizados na formação de professores para contextos instrucionais, que visam à formação de práticas voltadas à educação dessa faixa etária, proporcionando-lhes não só desenvolvimento integral, mas também oportunidades igualitárias e inclusão social. A relevância deste trabalho devese, principalmente, ao crescente interesse mundial pela longevidade e pela inserção social do idoso. Foi discutido o aumento da longevidade no mundo (Frias, 1998; Goldman, 2001; Kalache e Kickbusch, 1997; Veras, 1995), a Gerontologia (Cachioni, 2003; Hayflick, 1996; Neri, 1995; Papaléo Netto, 1996), a educação (Canário, 2000; Case, 2000; Delors et al., 1999; Freire, 1996; Giubilei, 1993; Lima, 2001; Rogers, 1969; Sobral, 2001; Vygotsky, 1978), as universidades abertas da terceira idade (Jordão Neto, 2001; Martins de Sá, 1991; Vellas, 1997) e a formação de professores (Kenski, 2001; Monteiro, 2000; Moraes, 1997; Perrenoud, 2002) para aqueles que estão envelhecendo. Para operacionalizar a pesquisa, foi utilizada a orientação metodológica Hermenêutico-Fenomenológica (van Manen, 1990; Freire, 2007), buscando: que interpretações alunos e professores, adultos maduros e idosos, de duas universidades abertas da terceira idade têm sobre o aprender nessa fase da vida e qual a natureza do aprender na terceira idade na universidade aberta. Os textos coletados foram constituídos de entrevistas transcritas com dezesseis alunos e professores, adultos maduros e idosos, de duas universidades abertas. A partir das descrições e das interpretações das experiências vividas por esses sujeitos, foi possível identificar a natureza do fenômeno em estudo. Durante o processo de interpretação, contudo, os textos coletados revelaram que, contrariamente ao enfoque inicial, o fenômeno em foco era, de fato, a busca na terceira idade na universidade aberta. Ao chegar à essência do fenômeno, consegui identificar os temas que estruturam essa busca, que são: aprendizagem, bem-estar, ocupação e relações. Esses temas, além de servirem de base para pesquisas posteriores, podem e devem continuar sendo o objetivo maior daqueles que trabalham ou venham a trabalhar em instituições, com o segmento etário que mais cresce na sociedade em que vivemos